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Caldara: Raise a glass to the Coors Foundation
Commentary, completecolorado.com, State

Caldara: Raise a glass to the Coors Foundation

By Jon Caldara | Complete Colorado When I was a kid, I’d collect old tin cans and the newfangled aluminum beer cans. My father would drive me down to the Coors distribution warehouse in Littleton. They’d weigh them and they gave me cash, real cash in my hand for recycling. This was my first interaction with “Coors.” Coors invented the completely recyclable aluminum beverage container. Now the marketplace standard, it saved more waste and pollution than an army of greenies banning shopping bags, and without any governmental mandates. Later in life, my interactions with Coors included sneaking into my parents’ garage to sneak cans of Coors Light. READ THE FULL STORY AT COMPLETE COLORADO Editor's note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author ...
Almost every judicial district has faced naked people showing porn during live streams, officials say
KRDO.COM, State

Almost every judicial district has faced naked people showing porn during live streams, officials say

By Sam Page, Chelsea Brentzel | KRDO-TV Colorado Springs A group of naked people showing porn are wreaking havoc for courtrooms across Colorado. The Fourth Judicial District tells KRDO13 Investigates that almost every district in the state has experienced issues with a group gaining access to public livestreams and creating explicit disruptions. A spokesperson tells KRDO13 Investigates one person even exposed themself on a live stream camera in recent weeks. Other people have shared pornography and explicit audio recordings and overall disrupted official court proceedings, according to court officials. KRDO13 Investigates has learned that the people doing this are posing as law enforcement officers or official media outlets to gain access to private, locked WebEx live st...
Tina Peters Trial Recap: Elections manager breaks down on stand, defense focuses on inconsistencies in state’s case
Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Tina Peters Trial Recap: Elections manager breaks down on stand, defense focuses on inconsistencies in state’s case

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff Previously elected Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters is facing seven felony charges and several misdemeanors in a trial happening this week.  She is accused of orchestrating a breach to prove election theft. Peters has pleaded not guilty, claiming she is a victim of lawfare. The Colorado Secretary of State's office has refuted her claims summarized in three reports Peters has published, called the “Mesa Reports.”  State prosecutors allege that Peters enlisted software engineer Gerald “Jerry” Wood for IT contract work. Wood passed a background check, received his security badge, and returned it the same day. However, prosecutors claim his badge was used twice in May 2021 to access secure election facilities, capturing images of the election server...
Euthanasia at area animal shelters is up by double digits as thousands of Coloradans surrender their dogs
CBS Colorado, State

Euthanasia at area animal shelters is up by double digits as thousands of Coloradans surrender their dogs

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado Colorado's animal shelters have reached a tipping point. Dogs that once were adopted within days are now waiting weeks or months and some never make it out. While many shelters have "no-kill" policies, those policies don't apply to dogs that are unhealthy or unsafe. According to the National Canine Advocacy Group, the six largest shelters along the Front Range took in just over 42,000 dogs last year and euthanized nearly 5,000 of them; a 24% increase over 2022. Now, the state's oldest shelter is turning some dogs away. The Dumb Friends League has long billed itself as a "socially conscious shelter," accepting all unwanted animals - but as dog surrenders soar and adoptions fall, Dumb Friends is suspending its open door policy. READ THE FULL S...
Fabbricatore: Why I am running for Colorado’s 6th District in Congress
Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Fabbricatore: Why I am running for Colorado’s 6th District in Congress

By John Fabbricatore | Commentary I constantly hear how difficult it is for a Republican to win the seat in the 6th Congressional District in Colorado. It's been a tough battle for many years, but this seat was held by Republican leadership since 1983, represented by former Congressmen Daniel Schaefer, Tom Tancredo, and Mike Coffman. The tide turned when Democrats, determined to take this seat, committed significant financial resources to Jason Crow's campaign, spending more than $5 million. At that time, it became one of Colorado's most expensive races, with nearly $23 million being spent by both candidates and outside groups. In 2018, under mounting pressure and increased Democratic funding, the Republican Party withdrew financial support, with the National Republican Congressio...
In continuing saga, judge lifts order, allowing adversaries possible vote to remove GOP chair; Dueling meetings might exist again
coloradopolitics.com, State

In continuing saga, judge lifts order, allowing adversaries possible vote to remove GOP chair; Dueling meetings might exist again

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics A district court judge on Tuesday paved the way for a vote to remove Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams by lifting a temporary restraining order that blocked a group of Colorado Republicans from holding a meeting to consider whether to fire the party boss. Following an hour-long virtual hearing held earlier the same day, Arapahoe County District Court Judge Thomas W. Henderson reversed an order he issued last month that prohibited Williams' critics from convening a meeting, writing that the court lacked jurisdiction in the internal party dispute. In response to Henderson's new order, the Republicans who have been attempting to oust Williams all summer almost immediately scheduled a meeting on Aug. 24 at a church in Brigh...
State’s minimum wage could increase by nearly 3% again in January
State, The Colorado Sun

State’s minimum wage could increase by nearly 3% again in January

By Tamara Chuang | The Colorado Sun The minimum wage in Colorado and a few local governments is going up again Jan. 1.  The raising of the minimum wage has been an annual event for the state and the city of Denver for years and, starting this year, Edgewater and Boulder County joined in. That’s because all are tied to the change in the Consumer Price Index, also known as inflation. Denver’s rate will jump 52 cents next year to $18.81 an hour, up from the current $18.29. Colorado’s is tentatively increasing 39 cents to $14.81, from $14.42. The state’s official new wage will be announced around Labor Day, according to state labor department officials. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
Wolves from Washington a no-go because Colorado failed to agree on concerns of Southern Utes
State, The Colorado Sun

Wolves from Washington a no-go because Colorado failed to agree on concerns of Southern Utes

By Tracy Ross | The Colorado Sun A Native American tribe in Washington that promised 15 wolves to Colorado has rescinded its offer saying the state has not honored concerns of the Southern Ute Tribe involving wolf reintroduction.  Since soon after Colorado voters approved reintroducing wolves west of the Continental Divide, the Southern Ute Tribe has been trying to get Colorado Parks and Wildlife to acknowledge the tribe’s sovereignty in managing wolves on its land under an agreement covering hunting and fishing in the southwestern corner of the state.  But the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Nation says a lack of agreement between the Southern Utes and the state is a deal-breaker. On June 6, Jarred-Michael Erickson, chairman of the Colville Business Counci...
How long could the ballot be? Nine propositions could make ballot, eight others missed ballot
coloradopolitics.com, State

How long could the ballot be? Nine propositions could make ballot, eight others missed ballot

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics The deadline for submitting signatures for ballot measures in Colorado was Aug. 5. To qualify for the November ballot, a measure must receive signatures equal to at least 5% of the total votes cast for all Secretary of State candidates in the last election. This year, that's 124,238.  Measures that propose changes to the state Constitution must meet those same requirements and receive signatures from at least 2% of the total registered electors in each of Colorado's 35 Senate districts. SEE THE LIST OF ALL PROPOSITIONS HERE AT COLORADO POLITICS
PODCAST: Looking at PERA, the pension plan that supports 140,000 Coloradans
Common Sense Institute, State

PODCAST: Looking at PERA, the pension plan that supports 140,000 Coloradans

By D.J. Summers | Common Sense Institute What exactly is PERA? Are state and public employees getting the short end of the stick? Is PERA financially sound? And how is Colorado managing these challenges? PERA obligations might sound dull at first, but this is a conversation that affects nearly 140,000 public employees in Colorado. Join us as we delve into these vital questions and more. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE PODCAST